dell supportassist version 1.0 for microsoft system center ......for more information about...

Dell SupportAssist Version 1.0 For Microsoft System Center Operations ManagerUser's Guide

Notes, Cautions, and WarningsNOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem.

WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.

Copyright © 2014 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. This product is protected by U.S. and international copyright and intellectual property laws. Dell™ and the Dell logo are trademarks of Dell Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.

2014 - 02

Rev. A01

Contents

1 Overview......................................................................................................................7Key Features...........................................................................................................................................7

Features Supported With Dell Service Contracts................................................................................. 7

Case Data Handling...............................................................................................................................8

Event Handling...................................................................................................................................... 8

Data Collected ......................................................................................................................................8

2 Installing And Setting Up Dell SupportAssist................................................... 11Prerequisites......................................................................................................................................... 11

Management Packs Required For SupportAssist................................................................................ 11

Minimum Requirements For Installing SupportAssist........................................................................ 12

Software Requirements................................................................................................................. 12

Hardware Requirements................................................................................................................13

Network Requirements..................................................................................................................13

Downloading The Installation Package.............................................................................................. 13

Installing Dell SupportAssist................................................................................................................ 14

Setting Up SupportAssist..................................................................................................................... 16

Verifying The Installation.....................................................................................................................16

3 Dell SupportAssist Interface................................................................................. 17Case List............................................................................................................................................... 17

Device Inventory..................................................................................................................................19

Settings................................................................................................................................................20

System Logs.................................................................................................................................. 20

Proxy Settings................................................................................................................................ 21

Remote Connection......................................................................................................................22

Preferences....................................................................................................................................23

Contact Information......................................................................................................................23

Connectivity Test................................................................................................................................ 24

4 Using Dell SupportAssist.......................................................................................25Launching Dell SupportAssist............................................................................................................. 25

Configuring Proxy Server Settings......................................................................................................25

Configuring The Default Device Type Credentials............................................................................ 26

Confirming Connectivity Through The Proxy Server.........................................................................27

Configuring A Remote Connection....................................................................................................27

Confirming Email Connectivity.......................................................................................................... 28

Filtering The System Log Collection.................................................................................................. 28

Editing Device Credentials..................................................................................................................29

Enabling Or Disabling The Automatic Collection Of System Logs...................................................30

Resetting The Device-Specific Credentials To The Default Device Type Credentials..................... 31

Overwriting The Device-Specific Credentials With The Default Device Type Credentials..............32

Sending The System Logs Manually................................................................................................... 32

Scheduling The System Log Collection............................................................................................. 33

Default System Log Collection Schedule...........................................................................................33

Enabling Or Disabling The Scheduling Of System Log Collection................................................... 34

Disabling The Scheduling Of System Log Collection For A Specific Device Type...........................34

Ensuring Successful Communication Between The SupportAssist Application And The

SupportAssist Server............................................................................................................................35

Verifying The Server Certificate.................................................................................................... 36

Setting SupportAssist To Maintenance Mode.................................................................................... 36

Viewing The Case List......................................................................................................................... 37

Filtering The Case List Data By Column Name And Keyword..................................................... 37

Sorting The Case List Data By Column Name............................................................................. 38

Returning The Case List Data To The Default Sorting.................................................................38

Setting The Number Of Cases Displayed Per Page..................................................................... 38

Viewing The Device Inventory............................................................................................................38

Filtering The Device Inventory Data By Column Name And Keyword........................................38

Sorting The Device Inventory Data By Column Name................................................................ 39

Returning The Device Inventory Data To The Default Sorting....................................................39

Setting The Number Of Devices Displayed Per Page.................................................................. 39

Refreshing The Case List Or Device Inventory Display Data.............................................................39

Viewing And Updating The Contact Information..............................................................................40

Configuring Email Notification Settings.............................................................................................40

Accessing And Viewing The System Log Collection..........................................................................41

Viewing Dell SupportAssist Product Information...............................................................................41

Viewing Support Information............................................................................................................. 42

Accessing And Viewing The Logs.......................................................................................................42

Accessing The Context-Sensitive Help.............................................................................................. 43

5 Uninstalling Dell SupportAssist...........................................................................45

6 Troubleshooting..................................................................................................... 47Installing Dell SupportAssist................................................................................................................47

Launching Dell SupportAssist............................................................................................................. 47

Service Tag Warnings..........................................................................................................................47

Service Contract..................................................................................................................................47

Service Contract Warning............................................................................................................. 47

Service Contract Type Is Unknown..............................................................................................48

Collection Failure................................................................................................................................48

Collection Failed To Upload...............................................................................................................48

Services................................................................................................................................................49

Security................................................................................................................................................49

Identifying SSL Connection Failure.................................................................................................... 50

Installing Root Certificates..................................................................................................................50

7 Related Documents And Resources...................................................................53Other Documents You May Need...................................................................................................... 53

Accessing Documents From Dell Support Site..................................................................................53

Contacting Dell................................................................................................................................... 54

1OverviewDell SupportAssist collects information about your computer hardware and software, and automatically creates support cases when issues arise. This helps Dell to provide you an enhanced, personalized, and efficient support experience. Dell uses this data to help solve common problems and design and market the products and services features you use most.

SupportAssist integrates with Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2012 SP1 or Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 root management server (RMS), management server, or operations console to provide support capabilities for:

• Dell PowerEdge servers (9G to 12G) running Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Standard, Enterprise, or R2

• Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller 7 (iDRAC7)

NOTE: SupportAssist does not support Dell CloudEdge and PowerEdge C servers.

SupportAssist also provides rich device, support case, and service contract reporting.

You can access information about the Operations Manager-managed Dell devices and related support cases from the Device Inventory and Case List reports in the SupportAssist dashboard.

Equipping your server running Operations Manager with SupportAssist is voluntary, and results in improved support, products, and services designed to meet your needs.

Key Features

The key features of Dell SupportAssist include:

• Remote monitoring — Monitors your hardware to inform you of critical alerts.

• Automated log and configuration collection — Information required for troubleshooting the issue is automatically collected and sent to Dell.

• Automatic support case creation — When a critical alert is received from your hardware by Operations Manager, the alert information is sent to Dell and a service request is automatically created. A Dell technical support agent contacts you about the alert and helps you resolve the issue.

NOTE: Support cases opened prior to SupportAssist installation, do not appear in the SupportAssist dashboard.

• Proactive parts dispatch — Based on examination of the troubleshooting data, if the Dell technical support agent determines that a part needs to be replaced in your environment, a replacement part is dispatched to you with your consent.

Features Supported With Dell Service Contracts

The features supported in your environment may vary based on your Dell service contract.

The following table provides a comparison of the features available with the Dell Basic Hardware and Dell ProSupport service contracts.

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Feature Basic Hardware ProSupport ProSupport Plus

Remote monitoring

Automated log and configuration collection

Automatic support case creation

Proactive parts dispatch

Case Data Handling

For increased performance, SupportAssist case data is cached prior to display in the dashboard, and is not displayed in real time. When launched, SupportAssist:

• Queries Dell once every three minutes for cases in the Submitted state to determine if it needs to update the case status.

• Determines the last time the case data was updated for a submitted case. It then queries the cases for which cached status information has expired in the last three minutes.

• Queries Dell once every 15 minutes for cases in all status other than Submitted.

NOTE: If the data for a particular case is older than 15 minutes by the next poll time, SupportAssist queries for that data in the current poll. Therefore, SupportAssist may only poll for cases that are in the Open state for case data every 12 minutes.

Event Handling

SupportAssist intelligently handles event storm conditions, allowing up to nine separate alerts from your Operations Manager-managed environment in a 60-minute time span. However, if it receives 10 or more separate alerts it automatically enters Maintenance mode.

Maintenance mode suspends any further processing of alerts, enabling you to make infrastructure changes without generating unnecessary cases. After 30 minutes in Maintenance mode, SupportAssist automatically exits Maintenance mode and resumes normal alert processing.

Data Collected

Dell SupportAssist continually monitors the system configuration data and usage information of your Operations Manager-managed Dell computer hardware and software. While Dell does not anticipate accessing or collecting personal information, such as your personal files, web-browsing history, or cookies, in connection with this program, any personal data inadvertently collected or viewed will be treated in accordance with the Dell Privacy Policy.

The information encrypted in the data log file sent back to Dell includes the following categories of data, among others:

• User Information — Computer name, domain, IP address, and Dell Service Tag.

• Hardware Configuration — Installed devices, processor(s), memory, network devices, and usage.

• Software Configuration — Operating system, installed applications, and application usage.

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For more information about the collected troubleshooting information, see Accessing And Viewing The System Log Collection.

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2Installing And Setting Up Dell SupportAssistThe following sections provide information about installing and setting up Dell SupportAssist.

Prerequisites

The following are the prerequisites for installing and using SupportAssist:

• Dell PowerEdge servers running:

– Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2012 SP1.

– Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 root management server (RMS), management server, or operations console.

• Dell Server Management Pack Suite Version 5.0.1 or 5.1 For Microsoft System Center Operations Manager And System Center Essentials.

• Familiarity with Operations Manager 2012 SP1 or 2007 R2 installation, configuration, and operation.

For more information about installing, configuring, and using Dell Server Management Pack Suite For Microsoft System Center Operations Manager And System Center Essentials, see the following documents:

• Dell Server Management Pack Suite For Microsoft System Center Operations Manager And System Center Essentials Installation Guide

• Dell Server Management Pack Suite For Microsoft System Center Operations Manager And System Center Essentials User's Guide

To access the documents, go to dell.com/OpenManageManuals and click Server Management Pack Versions for Microsoft System Center Operations Manager.

Related Links

Installing Dell SupportAssist

Setting Up SupportAssist

Management Packs Required For SupportAssist

The following table lists the Dell Server Management Pack Suite Version 5.0.1 or 5.1 management packs required for SupportAssist to monitor Dell PowerEdge servers (9th to 12th generation) and Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller 7 (iDRAC7).

Devices to be monitored Required Management Packs

Dell PowerEdge servers (9G to 12G)

• Dell Base Hardware Library

• Dell Server Model

• Dell Server Operations Library

• Dell Server View

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Devices to be monitored Required Management Packs

• Dell Windows Server (Scalable Edition)

• Dell Windows Server (Detailed Edition)

• Dell Windows Server Overrides (Informational Alerts On)

• Dell Common Operations Library

iDRAC7 • Dell Feature Monitoring (optional)

• Dell Base Hardware Library

• Dell Common Operations Library

• Dell DRAC Model

• Dell DRAC View

• Dell DRAC Operations Library

• Dell DRAC (SCOM 2007/SCE 2010)

• Dell DRAC (SC2012 OM)

NOTE: For information about importing the required management packs, see the Dell Server Management Pack Suite For Microsoft System Center Operations Manager And System Center Essentials Installation Guide at dell.com/OpenManageManuals, under Server Management Pack Versions for Microsoft System Center Operations Manager.

Minimum Requirements For Installing SupportAssist

This section provides the minimum requirements for Dell SupportAssist to provide proactive support for Dell PowerEdge servers (9G to 12G).

NOTE: For information about SNMP configuration, firewall settings, web services, supported ports and protocols specific to your environment, see the Dell SupportAssist Version 1.0 For Microsoft System Center Operations Manager Quick Start Guide at dell.com/ServiceabilityTools.

Related Links



Software Requirements

Hardware Requirements

Network Requirements

Software Requirements

The following are the minimum required software configurations:

• Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2012 SP1

• Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 root management server (RMS), management server, or operations console

• For SupportAssist on Operations Manager 2007 R2:

– Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Standard, Enterprise, or Datacenter (32-bit or 64-bit) with SP1 or SP2

– Windows Server 2008 R2

– Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1

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• For SupportAssist on Operations Manager 2012 SP1:

– Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1

• Microsoft .Net Framework 4.0

• Microsoft ASP.Net

• IIS 7.x with Windows authentication enabled

• Web browser — Internet Explorer 8, 9, or 10 and Mozilla Firefox 23 or 24; supported only on Windows-based operating systems.

Related Links


Hardware Requirements

For information about the hardware requirements specific to your environment, see the latest Operations Manager 2007 R2 Sizing Helper Tool or System Center 2012 Operations Manager Sizing Helper Tool at microsoft.com.Related Links


Network Requirements

The following are the minimum network requirements:

• Internet connection – standard Gbe network.

• The server running Operations Manager on which the Dell SupportAssist plugin is installed must be able to communicate with the Dell SupportAssist server hosted by Dell over the HTTPS protocol.

• If SupportAssist is installed on either a non-host system (Operations Manager 2012 SP1) or non-RMS system (Operations Manager 2007 R2), SupportAssist must be configured to establish a remote connection with the management group. See Configuring A Remote Connection.

• The management server must be able to connect to the following destinations:

– https://api.dell.com/support/case/v2/WebCase — end point for the SupportAssist server.

– https://ddldropbox.us.dell.com/upload.ashx/ — the file upload server where the diagnostic test results are uploaded.

– http://ftp.dell.com/ — for getting new SupportAssist release information.

Related Links


Downloading The Installation Package

To download the installation package:

1. Visit support.dell.com.

2. In the search box, type SupportAssist and click Search.

The search result is displayed.

3. Click the appropriate link to download the SupportAssist installation package to your management server running Operations Manager.

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By installing Dell SupportAssist, you agree to the Dell End User License Agreement — Type A, available for review at dell.com/licenseagreements; and the Dell Privacy Policy available for review at dell.com/privacy. Your use of SupportAssist is also subject to the terms of your Service Agreement and Terms and Conditions of Sale.

To install:

1. On the management server running Operations Manager, right-click the SupportAssist installer package, then select Run as administrator.

NOTE: Microsoft User Access Control (UAC) requires that the installation is performed with elevated privileges that are obtained only through the Run as administrator option. If you are logged on to the server running Operations Manager as an administrator-level user, double-click the installer package to install SupportAssist. However, when the Open File - Security Warning dialog box is displayed, click Run to proceed.

The Dell SupportAssist - InstallShield Wizard (installation language selection) dialog box is displayed.

2. From the Select the language for the installation from the choices below list, select a language and click OK.

NOTE: If you want to change the language after installing SupportAssist, you must uninstall and then reinstall SupportAssist. Changing the default language of the web browser has no effect on the SupportAssist dashboard display.

The Preparing to Install dialog box is briefly displayed and then the Welcome to Dell SupportAssist dialog box is displayed.

NOTE: SupportAssist installation requires that you allow Dell to save certain Personally Identifiable Information (PII) such as your contact information, local administrator credentials, and so on. SupportAssist installation cannot proceed unless you allow Dell to save your PII.

3. Read the terms, and click I Agree.

The License Agreement dialog box is displayed.

4. Read the software license agreement, select I accept the terms in the license agreement, and then click Next.

The Registration Information dialog box is displayed.

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5. Provide the following information for the primary contact to whom Dell must send alert notifications, case status notifications, and so on:

– Company Name — The company name must contain one or more printable characters, and must not exceed 256 characters.

– Country/Territory — Select your country or territory.

– First Name — The first name can contain letters, quotation marks [ ’ ], periods [ . ], spaces, and must not exceed 50 characters.

– Last Name — The last name can contain letters, quotation marks [ ’ ], periods [ . ], spaces, and must not exceed 50 characters.

– Phone Number — It must contain a minimum of 10 characters and not exceed 50 characters.

– Alternate Phone Number — Optional, with the same format and character requirements as the Phone Number.

– Email Address — Provide the email address in the [email protected] format. It must contain a minimum of five characters and not exceed 50 characters.

– Preferred Email Language — Select the desired language for SupportAssist email notifications.

– Receive email notification when a new support case is opened — Select the check box to receive an email when SupportAssist creates a support case.

NOTE: You can update the primary contact information and also provide a secondary contact information after installing SupportAssist. If your primary contact becomes unavailable, Dell can contact your company through the secondary contact. If both the primary and secondary contacts are configured with valid email addresses, both receive SupportAssist emails. For information about updating the contact information, see Viewing And Updating The Contact Information.

The Ready to Install the Program dialog box is displayed.

6. Click Install to install SupportAssist and the associated system log collection tools. By default, SupportAssist is installed at: C:\Program Files (x86)\Dell\SupportAssist\ in 64-bit operating systems and at C:\Program Files\Dell\SupportAssist\ in 32-bit operating systems.

As the SupportAssist application installs, the following system log collection tool is also installed in the background: Dell System E-Support Tool (DSET).

NOTE: DSET generates the system log collection from your Operations Manager-managed Dell PowerEdge servers, then compresses and uploads it for use by Dell technical support to diagnose issues.

For more information about the generated system log collection, see Accessing And Viewing The System Log Collection.

NOTE: SupportAssist requires DSET in order to install and operate. If you cancel the DSET installation, SupportAssist installation will exit. Your system will not be changed, and SupportAssist will not be installed.

The Install Wizard Completed dialog box is displayed.

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7. Click Finish.

The SupportAssist client opens in a web browser and the First-Time Setup dialog box is displayed.

The SupportAssist client installed on your system registers with the SupportAssist server hosted by Dell, and sends you a registration confirmation email.

NOTE: If there is an issue with registering the SupportAssist client with the SupportAssist server and your system connects to the Internet through a proxy server, ensure that you configure the proxy server credentials in SupportAssist. See Configuring Proxy Server Settings.

NOTE: To configure SupportAssist to monitor your devices, after installing SupportAssist, follow the instructions in Setting Up SupportAssist.

Related Links

Prerequisites




To ensure that SupportAssist is able to monitor the supported devices, generate support cases if there is a problem with any devices, and transmit the system logs to Dell, you must perform the following:

1. Establish Internet connectivity — If your system connects to the Internet through a firewall or proxy server, the proxy server settings must be configured in SupportAssist. See Configuring Proxy Server Settings.

NOTE: You must update the proxy server settings in SupportAssist whenever the proxy server settings in your environment are changed.

2. Establish system log collection — Configure the Default Device Type Credentials in the System Logs page for each Device Type and Credential Type. See Configuring The Default Device Type Credentials.

3. Establish a remote connection — If SuportAssist is installed on either a non-host system (Operations Manager 2012 SP1) or non-RMS system (Operations Manager 2007 R2), you must configure SupportAssist to establish a remote connection with the management groups. See Configuring A Remote Connection.

Related Links

Prerequisites



Verifying The Installation

To verify if the software, hardware, and network components required for Dell SupportAssist to provide proactive support are configured correctly, see the Dell SupportAssist Version 1.0 For Microsoft System Center Operations Manager Quick Start Guide at dell.com/ServiceabilityTools.

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3Dell SupportAssist InterfaceThe top-right corner of the SupportAssist dashboard displays links that you can use to navigate the interface. The following table describes the links that are displayed.

Link Description

SupportAssist Community

Opens the SupportAssist User Group website in a new browser window.

Help Move the mouse pointer over the link to display a drop-down that provides the following options:

• Help — Opens the Help window that provides links to Dell technical support and product manuals.

• About — Opens the About window that provides information about the SupportAssist version, copyright information, and also notifies if a newer version of SupportAssist is avaialable.

User name Displays the user name of the currently logged in user. Move the mouse pointer over the user name link to display a drop-down that contains a link to the Connectivity Test page.

NOTE: The Connectivity Test link is enabled only if you are logged on as a member of either the Administrators or Domain Admins group.

By default, the Cases tab is displayed when SupportAssist is launched. The Devices tab displays the supported Operations Manager discovered Dell devices. The Settings tab enables you to configure SupportAssist.

NOTE: The Settings tab is accessible only if you are logged on as a member of either the Administrators or Domain Admins group.

Related Links

Case List

Device Inventory

Settings

Connectivity Test

Case List

The Case List is the default Dell SupportAssist dashboard view. You can filter the cases that are displayed

by selecting an option from the Filter By drop-down box. The icon enables you to refresh the cases that are displayed.

The following table describes the automatically-generated support case information for your supported Dell devices, as displayed in the Case List page.

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Column Description

Case Status The current state of the support case. The status of a case may be:

• Open — Dell technical support has opened the submitted case.

• In Progress — The case is currently being worked by Dell technical support.

• Customer Deferred — Dell technical support has deferred the case at the customer’s request.

• Submitted — SupportAssist has submitted the case.

• No Case — No case exists for this device.

• Reopened — The case was previously closed, and has been reopened.

Case Number The numeric identifier assigned to the support case.

Case Title The case name, which identifies the following:

• Case generation method

• Dell service contract type

• Case disposition type

• Device model

• Device operating system

• Alert ID, if available

• Alert description, if available

Collection Status The current support case progress status. The progress status may be:

• Collection Tools Not Supported — This device does not support SupportAssist’s collection tools.

• Collection Scheduled — Collection tool is scheduled to be run on this device.

• In Progress — Collection tool has been invoked on this device.

• Failed to Start — Collection tool failed to start on this device.

• Failed to Run — Collection tool started, but failed to run on this device.

• Collection Uploaded — Collection information has been uploaded to Dell.

• Collection Failed to Upload — Collection information was not successfully uploaded to Dell.

Service Contract The Dell service contract level under which the device is covered. The service contract column may display:

• Unknown — SupportAssist cannot determine the service contract.

• Invalid Service Tag — The service tag of the device is invalid. See Service Tag Warnings.

• No Service Contract — This device is not covered under a Dell service contract.

• Expired Service Contract — The service contract of the device has expired.

• Basic Support — This device is covered under a Dell Basic Hardware service contract.

• ProSupport — This device is covered under a Dell ProSupport service contract.

• ProSupport Plus — This device is covered under a Dell ProSupport Plus service contract.

Device Type Indicates the type of device as discovered by Operations Manager:

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Column Description

Server — The device is a Dell PowerEdge server or an iDRAC7 device.

Service Tag A unique, alphanumeric identifier that enables Dell to individually recognize each Dell device.

Date Opened The date and time when the support case was opened.

You can set the number of support cases displayed per page by using the Display Cases drop-down box. The navigation icons enable you to navigate the pages of the Case List.

Related Links

Dell SupportAssist Interface

Viewing The Case List

Filtering The Case List Data By Column Name And Keyword

Sorting The Case List Data By Column Name

Returning The Case List Data To The Default Sorting

Setting The Number Of Cases Displayed Per Page

Refreshing The Case List Or Device Inventory Display Data

Device Inventory

The Device Inventory displays the supported Operations Manager-discovered devices. The Edit Device Credentials link allows you to edit the credentials of a selected device. The Send System Logs link allows you to collect the system logs from a selected device and uploads it to Dell. You can filter the devices

that are displayed by selecting an option from the Filter By drop-down box. The icon enables you to refresh the devices that are displayed.

The following table describes the automatically-generated inventory information for your supported Dell devices, as displayed in the Device Inventory page.

Column Description

Device Type Indicates the type of device as discovered by Operations Manager:

Server — The device is a PowerEdge server or an iDRAC7 device.

Service Tag A unique, alphanumeric identifier that enables Dell to individually recognize each Dell device.

Device Name Indicates the NetBIOS name of the device as discovered by Operations Manager.

Collection Status Indicates the status of the system log collection. The collection status may be:

• Collection Tools Not Supported — This device does not support SupportAssist’s collection tools.

• Collection Scheduled — Collection tool is scheduled to be run on this device.

• In Progress — Collection tool has been invoked on this device.

• Failed to Start — Collection tool failed to start on this device.

• Failed to Run — Collection tool started, but failed to run on this device.

• Collection Uploaded — Collection information has been uploaded to Dell.

• Collection Failed to Upload — Collection information was not successfully uploaded to Dell.

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You can set the number of devices displayed per page by using the Display Devices drop-down box. The navigation icons enable you to navigate the pages of the Device Inventory.

Related Links


Editing Device Credentials

Sending The System Logs Manually

Resetting The Device-Specific Credentials To The Default Device Type Credentials

Viewing The Device Inventory

Filtering The Device Inventory Data By Column Name And Keyword

Sorting The Device Inventory Data By Column Name

Returning The Device Inventory Data To The Default Sorting

Setting The Number Of Devices Displayed Per Page


Settings

The Settings tab enables you to configure SupportAssist. By default, the System Logs page is displayed when the Settings tab is opened. The Settings tab includes the following pages:

• System Logs

• Proxy Settings

• Remote Connection

• Preferences

• Contact Information

Related Links


System Logs

Proxy Settings

Remote Connection

Preferences

Contact Information

System Logs

The System Logs page enables you to:

• Edit the credentials required to collect the system logs from supported devices

• Schedule system log collections

The following table provides information about the fields displayed under Edit Device Credentials.

Field Description

Device Type Select the device type. The available option is Server.

Credential Type Select the specific device or operating system for which you want to provide the credentials. The available options are:

• Windows

• iDRAC7

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Field Description

Username Enables you to view or edit the user name.

Password Enables you to view or edit the password in a masked format.

Overwrite the device-specific credentials with the Default Device Type Credentials for all devices belonging to the current Device Type and Credential Type

Enables you to overwrite the device-specific credentials that you had previously configured for some devices, with the Default Device Type Credentials. Only devices (of the selected Device Type and Credential Type ) that you had configured with device-specific credentials are affected.

The following table provides information about the fields displayed under System Log Collection Schedule.

Field Description

Frequency Enables selecting the frequency at which system logs are collected. The available options are:

• None

• Weekly

• Monthly

Specify day and time

NOTE: The Specify day and time option is enabled only if the Enable system log collection scheduling option is selected in the Preferences page.

Enables selecting the day and time when you want to collect the system logs.

If the Frequency is set to Weekly, the available options are: weeks (1 or 2), day of the week (Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, and Sat), hour (in hh:mm format), and AM/PM.

If the Frequency is set to Monthly, the available options are: week of the month (First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Last), day of the week (Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, and Sat), hour (in hh:mm format), AM/PM, and months (1 or 3).

Start Date Displays the date and time at which the system logs will be collected next.

Related Links

Settings

Configuring The Default Device Type Credentials

Scheduling The System Log Collection

Overwriting The Device-Specific Credentials With The Default Device Type Credentials

Proxy Settings

The Proxy Settings page enables you to configure the proxy server settings. The following table provides information about the items displayed in the Proxy Settings page.

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Field Description

Use proxy settings Select this option to enable configuring the proxy server settings.

Proxy Server Address or Name Enables you to view or edit the proxy server address or name.

Proxy Port Number Enables you to view or edit the proxy server port number.

Proxy requires authentication Select this option if the proxy server requires authentication.

Username Enables you to view or edit the proxy server user name.

Password Enables you to view or edit the proxy server password in a masked format.

Confirm Password Enables you to retype the password provided in the Password field in a masked format.

Related Links

Settings

Configuring Proxy Server Settings

Remote Connection

The Remote Connection page enables you to provide the root management server (RMS) credentials, required for SupportAssist to establish a remote connection with the management groups. The following table provides information about the items displayed in the Remote Connection page.

Field Description

Establish a remote connection using RMS credentials

Select this option to enable the fields for providing the RMS credentials.

IP Address or Name Enables you to view or edit the IP address or name of the RMS.

Domain\Username Enables you to view or edit the username.

NOTE: The username must be provided in the domain\username format. You can use a period [.] to indicate the local domain.

Password Enables you to view or edit the RMS password in a masked format.

Confirm Password Enables you to retype the password provided in the Password field in a masked format.

Related Links

Settings

Configuring A Remote Connection

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Preferences

The Preferences page enables you to configure Email Settings, Support Collection, and Maintenance Mode. The following table provides information about the options displayed under Email Settings.

Field Description

Receive email notification when a new support case is opened

Select this option to receive an email notification when a new support case is opened.

Preferred email Language Enables you to select the preferred language for email notifications.

The following table provides information about the options displayed under Support Collection.

Field Description

Automatically start a log collection when a new support case is generated

Select this option to automatically start a system log collection when a new support case is generated.

Enable system log collection scheduling Select this option to enable scheduling of the system log collection. To schedule the system log collection, configure the System Log Collection Schedule in the System Logs tab.

Send network identification information to Dell Select this option to allow sending network identification information to Dell.

The following table provides information about the option displayed under Maintenance Mode.

Field Description

Temporarily suspend case generation activity (e.g., for purposes of downtime, external troubleshooting, etc.)

Select this option to set SupportAssist in maintenance mode. While in maintenance mode, no new support cases are opened.

Related Links

Settings

Configuring Email Notification Settings

Enabling Or Disabling The Automatic Collection Of System Logs

Enabling Or Disabling The Scheduling Of System Log Collection

Filtering The System Log Collection

Setting SupportAssist To Maintenance Mode

Contact Information

The Contact Information page enables you to view and edit the primary and secondary contact information. The following table provides information about the items displayed in the Contact Information page.

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Field Description

Company Information Enables you to view or edit the company name.

Primary Select this option to view the primary contact information.

Secondary Select this option to view the secondary contact information.

First Name Enables you to view or edit the first name of the primary or secondary contact.

Last Name Enables you to view or edit the last name of the primary or secondary contact.

Phone Number Enables you to view or edit the phone number of the primary or secondary contact.

Alternate Phone Number Enables you to view or edit the alternate phone number of the primary or secondary contact.

Email Address Enables you to view or edit the email address of the primary or secondary contact.

Related Links

Settings

Viewing And Updating The Contact Information

Connectivity Test

The Connectivity Test page enables you to test the inbound and outbound connectivity status of SupportAssist, in order to ensure that you can receive the most current case and device updates. For example, you may want to check the connectivity status following a network outage, a router or firewall configuration, or change made to the email address of the primary user. When you perform the connectivity test, SupportAssist receives the connectivity test request, and sends a sample email with the connectivity status and a reminder to configure your devices for monitoring.Related Links


Confirming Email Connectivity

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4Using Dell SupportAssistThe following sections provide information about configuring and using Dell SupportAssist.

Launching Dell SupportAssist

To launch SupportAssist:

1. On the management server running Operations Manager:

– Double-click the Dell SupportAssist desktop icon.

– Click Start→ All Programs→ Dell→ Dell SupportAssist→ Dell SupportAssist.

The Windows Security dialog box may be displayed.

2. If the Windows Security dialog box is displayed, type the User name and Password, and then click OK.

The SupportAssist dashboard opens in a web browser, and may display the First-Time Setup dialog box.

Configuring Proxy Server Settings

If your system connects to the Internet through a firewall or proxy server, you must configure the proxy server settings in SupportAssist.

To configure the proxy server settings:


1. Click the Settings tab.

The System Logs page is displayed.

2. Click Proxy Settings.

The Proxy Settings page is displayed.

3. Select Use Proxy Settings.

NOTE: SupportAssist supports Windows NT LAN Manager (NTLM) authentication protocol only.

4. Type the Proxy Server Address or Name and Proxy Port Number details.

NOTE: If the proxy server credentials are not provided, SupportAssist connects to the proxy server as an anonymous user.

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5. If the proxy server requires authentication, select Proxy requires authentication, and then provide the following information in the corresponding fields:

– Username — The user name must contain one or more printable characters, and not exceed 104 characters.

– Password — The user password must contain one or more printable characters, and not exceed 127 characters.

– Confirm Password — Repeat the user password. The password should match with the one provided in the Password field.

6. Click Apply.

SupportAssist tests the proxy server settings, and the result of the test is displayed in a dialog box.

You can verify if the proxy settings has been configured correctly by testing the connection through the proxy server. See Confirming Connectivity Through The Proxy Server.

Related Links

Proxy Settings

Configuring The Default Device Type Credentials

SupportAssist runs the appropriate collection tools and gathers the system logs from Operations Manager-managed Dell PowerEdge servers. To run the collection tools on your supported devices, you must configure SupportAssist with the Administrator credentials for each managed device type. The Default Device Type Credentials section in the System Logs page allows you to configure SupportAssist with the Administrator credentials for each supported device type and credential type.

To configure the default device type credentials:




2. Under Edit Device Credentials, select a Credential Type from the list.

The available options are:

– Windows

– iDRAC7

3. Type the appropriate credentials in the corresponding fields:

– Username — The user name must contain one or more printable characters, and not exceed 104 characters.

NOTE: Windows user names must be of the form [Domain\Username]. You can also use a period [ . ] to indicate the local domain.

Examples of Windows user names: .\Administrator; MyDomain\MyUsername

– Password — The user password must contain one or more printable characters, and not exceed 127 characters.

NOTE: Repeat step 2 and step 3 if you want to provide the Administrator credentials for more than one Credential Type at a time.

4. Click Save Changes.

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If the credentials for a device differs from the Default Device Type Credentials you provided, you can edit the device credentials for that particular device. For more information about providing the credentials for a specific device, see Editing Device Credentials.Related Links

System Logs


Confirming Connectivity Through The Proxy Server

To test if Dell SupportAssist can connect to the Internet through the proxy server:




2. Click Proxy Settings.

The Proxy Settings page is displayed.

3. Ensure that the proxy settings has been configured correctly. See Configuring Proxy Server Settings.

4. Click Apply.

A dialog box appears to inform the status of the connection through the proxy server.

Configuring A Remote Connection

If SupportAssist is installed on a non-host system (Operations Manager 2012 SP1) or non-RMS system (Operations Manager 2007 R2), you must configure SupportAssist to establish a remote connection with the management groups. Connecting to the management groups allows SupportAssist to retrieve monitoring data such as alerts and discovery information from Operations Manager. The Management Groups Connection page allows you to provide the credentials required for SupportAssist to establish a remote connection with the management groups.

NOTE: Whenever the Operations Manager is configured to connect to either a new host (Operations Manager 2012 SP1) or RMS (Operations Manager 2007 R2), SupportAssist must also be configured with the new management group credentials.

To configure a remote connection:




2. Click Remote Connection.

The Management Groups Connection page is displayed.

3. Select Establish a remote connection with the management group.

4. Provide the IP Address or Name, Domain\Username, Password , and Confirm Password in the appropriate fields.

NOTE: The username must be provided in the domain\username format. You can use a period [.] to indicate the local domain.

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5. Click Apply.

SupportAssist validates the management group credentials by attempting to establish a remote connection. If the remote connection is successful, the management group credentials are saved.

Related Links

Remote Connection

Confirming Email Connectivity

You can test the SupportAssist email connectivity status, to ensure that you receive the most current case and device updates. For example, you may want to check the email connectivity status following a network outage, a router or firewall configuration change, or change made to the email address of the primary user.

To test the SupportAssist email connectivity status:

NOTE: The Connectivity Test link is enabled only if you are logged on as a member of either the Administrators or Domain Admins group.

1. Move the mouse pointer over the user name link that is displayed beside the Help link, and then click Connectivity Test.

The Connectivity Test page is displayed.

2. Click Send.

NOTE: If you have opted to not receive email notification when a new support case is generated, SupportAssist does not send the connectivity confirmation email as well. For more information about email notification settings, see Configuring Email Notification Settings.

SupportAssist initiates an email connectivity test.

– If the test is successful, a confirmation email message is sent to you. The message provides the connectivity status and a reminder to configure your devices for monitoring. The SupportAssist dashboard displays the following message:

A connectivity test has been successfully sent to Dell SupportAssist.When you receive the connectivity confirmation email from SupportAssist, ensure that your supported Dell devices are properly configured for monitoring.

– If the connectivity test fails, the following error message is displayed:

Error: Connectivity test failed. Please check your network settings. If your network settings are correct, please contact Dell Technical Support for further instructions.* If SupportAssist displays an error message, ensure that your network settings are correct, and

then click Retry. If the error persists, and you are certain that your network settings are correct, click the Dell Technical Support link that appears below the error message to engage Dell technical support for troubleshooting assistance. Once the error is resolved, repeat step 1 to step 2.

Related Links

Connectivity Test

Filtering The System Log Collection

The system logs collected by SupportAssist includes personally identifiable information (PII) such as the complete configuration snapshot of storage systems, hosts, and network devices which can contain host identification and network configuration data.

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In most cases, part or all of this data is required to properly diagnose issues. The security policy of your company may restrict sending this data outside of your network. You can prevent sending this data to Dell by configuring SupportAssist to filter the system log collection.

NOTE: When the Send network identification information to Dell option is disabled, some of the data about your network is not transmitted to Dell. This may impede Dell technical support from resolving your issue.

NOTE: If your devices are covered under the Dell ProSupport Plus service contract, when the Send network identification information to Dell option is disabled, you will not receive some reporting information about your devices.

To filter the system log collection:




2. Click Preferences.

The Preferences page is displayed.

3. Under System Log Collection Details, clear the Send network identification information to Dell option.

NOTE: By default, the Send network identification information to Dell option is selected.


Related Links

Preferences


The Default Device Type Credentials that you provided for each Device Type and Credential Type in the System Logs page is used to run the collection tools on your managed devices and gather the system logs. If the credentials for a particular device differ from the Default Device Type Credentials you provided, you can edit the credentials for that device.

CAUTION: After you edit the credentials for a specific device, SupportAssist uses the device-specific credentials you provided to collect the system logs on that device.

NOTE: To ensure that SupportAssist is able to generate the system log collection for all devices, you must edit the credentials for each device which has credentials that are not the same as the Default Device Type Credentials.

To edit the credentials for a device:

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NOTE: Editing the credentials for a device is enabled only if you are logged on as a member of either the Administrators or Domain Admins group.

1. Click the Devices tab.

The Device Inventory page is displayed.

2. Select a device in the Device Inventory table.

NOTE: You can only select a device that has a valid Service Tag. If a device does not have a valid Service Tag, the check box for that device is disabled.

The Edit Device Credentials link is enabled.

3. Click Edit Device Credentials.

NOTE: If the device you selected does not require credentials to generate the system log collection, a message is displayed on the dashboard.

The Edit Device Credentials dialog box is displayed.

4. Type the Username and Password in the appropriate fields.


The Confirmation dialog box is displayed.

CAUTION: If you select the Do not show this reminder again option, SupportAssist does not prompt for your confirmation when you attempt to edit the device credentials the next time.

6. Click Yes.

The dashboard displays the following message: Your device credentials were saved successfully.

Related LinksDevice InventoryConfiguring The Default Device Type CredentialsResetting The Device-Specific Credentials To The Default Device Type CredentialsOverwriting The Device-Specific Credentials With The Default Device Type Credentials

Enabling Or Disabling The Automatic Collection Of System Logs

By default, when a support case is opened or updated, SupportAssist is configured to automatically collect the system logs from the device that generated the alert and uploads it to Dell.

To enable or disable the automatic collection of system logs:





The Preferences page is displayed.

3. Under Support Collection, select or clear Automatically start a log collection when a new support case is generated, to enable or disable the automatic collection of system logs.

NOTE: By default, the Automatically start a log collection when a new support case is generated option is selected.

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Related Links

Preferences

Resetting The Device-Specific Credentials To The Default Device Type Credentials

If you had edited the credentials for a particular device, and later want to reset the credentials for that device to the Default Device Type Credentials, you can do so using the Edit Device Credentials dialog box.

CAUTION: Resetting to the Default Device Type Credentials overwrites the device-specific credentials with the default credentials. After you reset the credentials, SupportAssist uses the Default Device Type Credentials to collect the system logs on that device.

NOTE: You can reset the device-specific credentials to the Default Device Type Credentials for only one device at a time using the Edit Device Credentials dialog box. To overwrite the device-specific credentials for multiple devices belonging to a particular Device Type and Credential Type at a time, see Overwriting The Device-Specific Credentials With The Default Device Type Credentials.

To reset the device-specific credentials to the default device type credentials:

NOTE: To reset the device-specific credentials to the Default Device Type Credentials, you must be logged on as a member of either the Administrators or Domain Admins group.


The Device Inventory is displayed.



The Edit Device Credentials link is enabled.

3. Click Edit Device Credentials.

The Edit Device Credentials dialog box is displayed.

4. Click Reset to Default Device Type Credentials.

NOTE: The Reset to Default Device Type Credentials link is displayed only if you had previously configured the selected device with specific credentials.


CAUTION: If you select the Do not show this reminder again option, SupportAssist does not prompt for your confirmation when you attempt to reset the device-specific credentials the next time.

5. Click Yes.

Related Links

Device Inventory


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Overwriting The Device-Specific Credentials With The Default Device Type Credentials

If you had edited the credentials for several devices, and later want to overwrite the credentials for all those devices to the Default Device Type Credentials, you can do so using the System Logs page.

CAUTION: Once you overwrite the device-specific credentials, the Default Device Type Credentials overwrites the credentials of devices that you had previously edited through the Edit Device Credentials link.

NOTE: You can overwrite the device-specific credentials to the Default Device Type Credentials for all devices belonging to a particular Device Type and Credential Type at a time through the System Logs page. To reset the device-specific credentials for only a particular device, see Resetting The Device-Specific Credentials To The Default Device Type Credentials.

To reset the device-specific credentials to the default device type credentials:




2. Select the device category from the Device Type list.

3. Select the credential category from the Credential Type list.

4. Select Overwrite the device-specific credentials with the Default Device Type Credentials for all devices belonging to the current Device Type and Credential Type.


CAUTION: If you select the Do not show this reminder again option, SupportAssist does not prompt for your confirmation when you attempt to overwrite the device-specific credentials the next time.

5. Click Yes.


Related Links

System Logs


Sending The System Logs Manually

When a support case is opened or updated, the SupportAssist client, runs the collection tools on the devices that generated the alerts, and then uploads the system logs to Dell. In certain conditions, if required by Dell technical support, you may be required to manually collect the system logs and send it to Dell.

To send the system logs manually:

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NOTE: The Send System Logs option is enabled only if you are logged on as a member of either the Administrators or Domain Admins group.


The Device Inventory is displayed.



The Send System Logs link is enabled.

3. Click Send System Logs.

The Collection Status column in the Device Inventory displays the status of the collection and upload of the system logs.

Related Links

Device Inventory


Before you begin, ensure that the Enable system log collection scheduling option is enabled in the Preferences page.

To schedule the system log collection:




2. Under Edit Device Type Credentials, select Server from the Device Type list.

3. Select the Credential Type from the list. The available options are:

– Windows

– iDRAC7

4. Under System Log Collection Schedule, set the Frequency to Weekly or Monthly.

NOTE: If you want to disable the scheduling of system logs for a specific Device Type and Credential Type, set the Frequency to None.

5. In the Specify date and time fields, select an appropriate schedule. The options available vary based on the selected Frequency.


Related Links

System Logs

Default System Log Collection Schedule

Disabling The Scheduling Of System Log Collection For A Specific Device Type


The following table provides the default system log collection schedule for each supported device.

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Device Type Operating System Schedule

Server Windows Monthly; Monday of the first week at 12:00 AM

iDRAC7 Monthly; Monday of the first week at 12:00 AM

Related Links




SupportAssist can be configured to collect the system logs from supported devices at periodic intervals. For information about the default frequency of the collection of system logs, see Default System Log Collection Schedule. You can also customize the frequency of the collection of system logs for each device type. For more information, see Scheduling The System Log Collection.

To enable or disable the scheduling of system log collection:

NOTE: Selecting the Enable system log collection scheduling option enables the collection of system logs at periodic intervals from all supported device types. If you do not want SupportAssist to collect the system logs for a specific device type, you can disable scheduling for that specific device through the System Logs tab. For more information, see Disabling Scheduling Of System Log Collection For A Specific Device Type.

To enable scheduling of system log collection:





The Email Settings, Support Collection, and Maintenance Mode page is displayed.

3. Under Support Collection, select or clear Enable system log collection scheduling, to enable or disable scheduling of the collection of system logs.

NOTE: By default, the Enable system log collection scheduling option is disabled.


Related Links

Preferences



To disable the scheduling of system log collection for a specific device type:

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NOTE: Disabling the scheduling of system log collection for a specific device type only disables the generation of system log collection at periodic intervals on those devices. It does not disable SupportAssist from generating a system log collection and uploading it to Dell, if a support case is opened for those devices.




2. Under Edit Device Credentials, select Server from the Device Type list.

3. Select the Credential Type for which you want to disable scheduling. The available options are:

– Windows

– iDRAC7

4. In System Log Collection Schedule section, set the Frequency to None.


The following message is displayed in the System Log Collection Schedule section: System Log Collection scheduling is turned off for the current Device Type and Credential Type.

Related Links




Ensuring Successful Communication Between The SupportAssist Application And The SupportAssist Server

The SupportAssist application installed on the system must be able to communicate with the SupportAssist server hosted by Dell to:

• Automatically create a support case if there is a problem with a device in your environment.

• Upload the generated system log collection to Dell.

• Verify if an updated version of SupportAssist is available.

To ensure that the SupportAssist application is able to successfully communicate with the SupportAssist server:

• The system on which the SupportAssist application is installed must be able to connect to the following destinations:

– https://api.dell.com/support/case/v2/WebCase — end point for the SupportAssist server. On the system on which SupportAssist is installed, verify if you can access the following location using the web browser: https://api.dell.com/support/case/v2/WebCase?wsdl.

– https://ddldropbox.us.dell.com/upload.ashx/ — the file upload server where the diagnostic test results are uploaded.

• Verify if port 443 is open for ddldropbox.us.dell.com on the system on which SupportAssist is installed. You can use a telnet client to test the connection. For example, use the following command: o ddldropbox.us.dell.com 443.

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• Verify if the server certificate on ddldropbox.us.dell.com is valid. See Verifying The Server Certificate.

• Verify if the network settings on the system on which SupportAssist is installed are correct.

• If the system on which SupportAssist is installed connects to the Internet through a proxy server, configure the proxy settings in SupportAssist. See Configuring Proxy Server Settings.

If the communication problem persists, contact the network administrator for further assistance.

Verifying The Server Certificate

To verify the server certificate on ddldropbox.us.dell.com using Internet Explorer:

1. Open https://ddldropbox.us.dell.com.

A 404 — File or directory not found error may be displayed.

2. On the address bar, click the Security Report icon , and then click View Certificates.

The Certificate is displayed.

3. In the General tab, verify if the certificate displays a valid date.

4. Click the Certification Path tab, and verify if the GTE CyberTrust Global Root certificate is listed.

Setting SupportAssist To Maintenance Mode

SupportAssist can also be set in or out of Maintenance mode. Maintenance mode disables automatic case generation activity, thereby allowing you to make infrastructure changes without generating unnecessary alerts.

To set SupportAssist in or out of Maintenance mode:






3. Under Maintenance Mode, select or clear Temporarily suspend case generation activity (for example, for purposes of downtime, external troubleshooting, etc.) to toggle the Maintenance Mode status.

– If you select this option, SupportAssist is placed in maintenance mode.

– If you clear this option, SupportAssist is taken out of maintenance mode.


A banner appears along the top of the SupportAssist dashboard displaying Maintenance Mode.

Once manually placed in maintenance mode, SupportAssist remains in that state unless you clear the option set in step 3.

NOTE: The functionality of the Maintenance mode when set manually differs from the manner in which the Maintenance mode feature handles event storms. See Event Handling for more information.

Related Links

Preferences

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Viewing The Case List

To view the Case List, click the Cases tab on the Dell SupportAssist dashboard. A progress indicator may appear at the bottom of the report indicating that SupportAssist is in the process of updating the cache of open support cases.

NOTE: By default, the case list is sorted by Date Opened, in descending order.

NOTE: Pre-existing support cases (opened prior to SupportAssist installation), and cases opened as a result of contacting technical support, do not appear in the Case List report.

NOTE: The Service Contract column in the SupportAssist dashboard displays unknown for all

support cases created prior to the SupportAssist upgrade. Once an alert is received from the device, the Service Contract column is updated with the appropriate service contract type.

Support case information is automatically available for Operations Manager-managed Dell PowerEdge servers with valid Service Tags, when SupportAssist connects to the Dell support case and service contract databases over the Internet.

NOTE: If you do not have Internet access, case information is not populated. It is downloaded and displayed when you next connect to the Internet and open the Case List report.

Once SupportAssist has completed its open support cases update, the Case List displays the current cases.

Related Links

Case List

Filtering The Case List Data By Column Name And Keyword

To filter the case list display data by column name and keyword:

1. Select the column name from the Filter By: list.

2. If you are searching for Case Status, Progress, Device Type, or Service Contract, select the search criteria from the search list.

3. If you are searching for Case Number, Date Opened, Case Title, or Service Tag, type the search keyword in the search text field.

4. Click Apply Filters.

The report refreshes to display the data according to your criteria. If there are no matches, the following message is displayed:

No support cases found. Please review your search criteria and try again.5. To clear the search criteria and try again, click Clear Filters.

The report refreshes to display the default content.

6. Repeat step 1 through step 4.

The report refreshes to display the data according to your criteria.

Related Links

Case List

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Sorting The Case List Data By Column Name

To sort the case list display data by column name, click any column header. The report refreshes to display the data in an ascending or descending order of the column header you clicked.

Related Links

Case List

Returning The Case List Data To The Default Sorting

To return to the default Case List view (Date Opened, in descending order), click the Cases tab.

The report refreshes to the default sorting criteria. Any new cases or updates to the current cases appear in the report. Cases that are closed since the last refresh no longer appear.

Related Links

Case List

Setting The Number Of Cases Displayed Per Page

To change the total number of rows displayed in a page, select the number of cases to display from the Display Cases: list. You can choose from:

• 10 per page

• 20 per page

• 30 per page

• 50 per page

• 100 per page

By default, the dashboard is set to display 50 cases per page.

Related Links

Case List

Viewing The Device Inventory

To view the Device Inventory, click the Devices tab on the Dell SupportAssist dashboard.

NOTE: By default, the Device Inventory is sorted by Device Name, in ascending order. See the following sections for more sorting options.

Related Links

Device Inventory

Filtering The Device Inventory Data By Column Name And Keyword

To filter the device inventory display data by column name and keyword:

1. Select the column name from the Filter By: list.

2. If you are searching for Device Type, select the search criteria from the search list.

3. If you are searching for Device Name, Service Tag, or Collection Status, type the search keyword in the search text field.

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4. Click Apply Filters.

The report refreshes to display the data according to your criteria. If there are no matches, the following message is displayed:

No support cases found. Please review your search criteria and try again.5. To clear the search criteria and try again, click Clear Filters.

The report refreshes to display the default content.

6. Repeat step 1 through step 4.

The report refreshes to display the data according to your criteria.

Related LinksDevice Inventory

Sorting The Device Inventory Data By Column Name

To sort the device inventory display data by column name, click any column header. The report refreshes to display the data in an ascending or descending order of the column header you clicked.Related Links

Device Inventory

Returning The Device Inventory Data To The Default Sorting

To return to the default Device Inventory view (Device Name, in ascending order), click the Devices tab.

The report refreshes to the default sorting criteria. Any newly-discovered devices appear in the report. Devices that have been removed since the last refresh no longer appear.


Setting The Number Of Devices Displayed Per Page

To change the total number of rows displayed in a page, select the number of cases to display from the Display Devices: list. You can choose from:

• 10 per page

• 20 per page

• 30 per page

• 50 per page

• 100 per page

By default, the dashboard is set to display 50 devices per page.



The Case List or Device Inventory display data can be refreshed in two ways:

• Click the icon that appears in the Case List or Device Inventory dashboard to update the displayed data using the currently selected filters. This is handy for displaying updated information between poll cycles.

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• Click the Refresh button on the web browser to regenerate the last sort operation. The web browser may display a dialog box with the following message:

To display the webpage again, the web browser needs to resend the information you’ve previously submitted.If you were making a purchase, you should click Cancel to avoid a duplicate translation. Otherwise, click Retry to display the webpage again.In the dialog box that is displayed, click the Retry button to continue.

Related Links

Case List

Device Inventory

Viewing And Updating The Contact Information

To view and update the contact information:




2. Click Contact Information.

The Contact Information page is displayed.

3. Select the type of contact:

– Primary

– Secondary

4. Make the required changes to any of the following fields:

– First Name — The first name can contain letters, quotation marks [ ’ ], periods [ . ], spaces, and not exceed 50 characters.

– Last Name — The last name can contain letters, quotation marks [ ’ ], periods [ . ], spaces, and not exceed 50 characters.

– Phone Number — In 123-456-7890 format, or in 123-456-7890 x 123 format (to include an extension). It must contain a minimum of 10 characters, and not exceed 50 characters.

– Alternate Phone Number — Optional, with the same format and character requirements as the Phone Number.

– Email Address — Provide the email address in the [email protected] format. It must contain a minimum of five characters, and not exceed 50 characters.


Related Links

Contact Information

Configuring Email Notification Settings

You can configure the email notification settings based on your:

• Preference to receive email notifications from Dell SupportAssist

• Preferred language

To configure the email notification settings:

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3. To receive email notifications when a new support case is opened, under Email Settings, select Receive email notification when a new support case is opened.

NOTE: Disabling support case email notifications also disables email connectivity test emails.

4. To set the language in which you want to receive email notifications, from the Preferred Email Language list, select a language.

NOTE: The Preferred Email Language is enabled only when the Receive email notification when a new support case is opened option is selected.


Related Links

Preferences

Accessing And Viewing The System Log Collection

When a support case is automatically generated by Dell SupportAssist, data required to troubleshoot the issue is collected and sent to Dell technical support. The collected troubleshooting information is also compressed and stored on the server running Operations Manager in the reports directory (typically, C:\Program Files (x86)\Dell\SupportAssist\reports in 64-bit operating systems and at C:\Program Files\Dell\SupportAssist\reports in 32-bit operating systems).

The filename includes the device’s IP address, Dell service tag, and the date/time when the file was created. For example:

• DSET_Report_for[ 192.168.1.254_SvcTag_AL12G26_2012-03-07T132648 ].zip

The report file is encrypted with the password, dell (all lowercase). The report information can then be viewed by opening the dsetreport.hta file in your web browser.

NOTE: You should open the reports only when asked to do so by Dell technical support. Your report will not be reviewed unless you have an open support case.

Viewing Dell SupportAssist Product Information

The About window displays the SupportAssist product version, copyright information, and detailed SupportAssist feature descriptions.

To view general and detailed SupportAssist product information:

1. Move the mouse pointer over the Help link at the top-right corner of the SupportAssist dashboard, and then click About.

The About window is displayed, where you can view the general and detailed product information and also the copyright information.

2. Click Close to return to the SupportAssist dashboard.

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Viewing Support Information

The Help window displays Dell SupportAssist product version and copyright information, and provides access to Dell Technical Support and Operations Manager information.

To view the support information for SupportAssist:

1. Move the mouse pointer over the Help link at the top-right corner of the SupportAssist dashboard, and then click Help.

The Help window is displayed.

2. In the Help window :

– Read the General product and copyright information.

– Click the links under Dell SupportAssist Additional Information & Updates to view:

* Dell Technical Support launch points, community forums, blogs, and so on

* Dell product manuals for hardware and software products

3. Click Close to return to the SupportAssist dashboard.

Accessing And Viewing The Logs

The Dell SupportAssist dashboard stores Windows events and log messages in two locations:

• The Windows Event Log

• The dashboard installation logs directory (typically, C:\Program Files (x86)\Dell\Dell SupportAssist\logs in 64-bit operating systems and at C:\Program Files\Dell\Dell SupportAssist\logs in 32-bit operating systems)

A new log is created daily at 11:59 PM as per the time zone configured in the system, and is stored in the logs directory with the date appended to the file extension. This enables you to identify the exact log file stored for a given date when alerts occur. For example, log files similar to the following can be seen:

• log-file.txt 20120226



Log files are purged from storage after 45 days.

To view the Windows Event Log, invoke the Event Viewer application and then expand Applications and Services Logs. The DellIntegratedSupport log file contains entries from the dashboard service. The dashboard logs messages here that correspond to the value of the Windows Registry key, WindowsEventLogLevel, or higher.

In the dashboard installation directory, you can view one log file per day. The current log file is named log-file.txt, and contains log messages that correspond to the following values (or higher) in the Windows Registry key LogFileLevel: FATAL, ERROR, WARN, INFO, and DEBUG, with special values of OFF and ALL. A registry value of ERROR results in logs messages of FATAL, and ERROR, since FATAL is a higher level than ERROR.

The LogFileLevel Windows Registry key can be located at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Dell\Dell SupportAssist in 64-bit operating systems and at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Dell\Dell SupportAssist in 32-bit operating systems.

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Accessing The Context-Sensitive Help

The context-sensitive help provides information about features and tasks that are applicable to the current view on the dashboard. Once you invoke the context-sensitive help, you can navigate or search through the entire SupportAssist help system.

To access the context-sensitive help, click the icon that appears in the dashboard. The context-sensitive help is displayed in a new browser window.

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5Uninstalling Dell SupportAssistTo uninstall:

1. On the management server running Operations Manager, click Start → Control Panel → Programs and Features.

The Programs and Features window is displayed.

2. Select Dell SupportAssist, and then click Uninstall.

3. If the Programs and Features dialog box is displayed, prompting you to confirm the uninstallation, click Yes.

SupportAssist and the system log collection tools are uninstalled.

NOTE: All device, case, service contract, and user-entered information are removed when you uninstall SupportAssist. If you reinstall SupportAssist, it registers with the SupportAssist server as a new client. The support case information that was generated prior to uninstalling SupportAssist is not displayed.

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6TroubleshootingThis chapter describes procedures you can use to troubleshoot Dell SupportAssist issues


SupportAssist installation requires elevated Microsoft User Authentication (UAC) privileges, and may fail if you attempt to install by double-clicking on the installer executable. If this occurs, install SupportAssist as follows:

1. Right-click the installer executable.

2. Select Run as administrator.

NOTE: SupportAssist installation requires that you allow Dell to save certain Personally Identifiable Information (PII) such as your contact information and local administrator credentials, and so on. SupportAssist installation cannot proceed unless you allow Dell to save your PII.

Launching Dell SupportAssist

If you see a Problem starting the Dell SupportAssist Service error upon launching

SupportAssist:

• There may be a Microsoft Windows registry configuration problem with the SupportAssist Windows service. To resolve this issue, uninstall and then reinstall SupportAssist.

Service Tag Warnings

On rare occasions some cases may display an invalid Dell service tag warning. If you presume that the warning is incorrect, you can use the Windows Management Instrumentation CLI command (wmic) to find the correct Dell service tags for Windows devices.

To resolve service tag warnings:

1. Identify the service tag for your device.

2. Contact Dell technical support. See Contacting Dell.

Service Contract

The Service Contract column on the Case List report, may display a warning icon or Unknown. See the

following sections for more information about these messages.

Service Contract Warning

A warning icon may appear in the Service Contract column of some cases if the associated device is not covered under a Dell service contract or the service contract has expired.

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If any cases display a warning icon in the Service Contract column:

1. Move the pointer over the warning icon to display a tooltip.

2. Click the Dell Support link displayed in the tooltip to open the service contract information page.

You can obtain current service contract information for your Dell devices, obtain new service contracts, and so on.

Service Contract Type Is Unknown

The Service Contract column on Case List report displays unknown for all existing support cases.

This issue occurs when you upgrade Dell SupportAssist. Once an alert is received from the device, the Service Contract column is updated with the appropriate service contract type.

Collection Failure

If you receive a SupportAssist email notification indicating a collection issue with a specific device and the Collection Status of the device displays Failed to Run:

1. Verify if the device is connected to the network.

2. Verify the credentials you have provided for the device. You must provide the Administrator credentials in the Settings → System Logs page. For more information, see Configuring The Default Device Type Credentials and Editing Device Credentials.

3. Verify if the DNS is configured with the host name of the device. If the host name is not configured in the DNS server in your environment, update the hosts file located at C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc with the IP address and the corresponding host name.

4. The collection may fail on a Windows server if the server has multiple IP addresses or the first IPv4 address of the server populated by the Dell Windows Server Management Pack is not configured correctly. To ensure that the collection tool (DSET) runs on the Windows server, configure the first IPv4 address of the Windows server in Operations Manager.

Collection Failed To Upload

If you receive a SupportAssist email notification indicating an issue uploading the collection for a specific device and the Collections Status of the device displays Collection Failed to Upload:

1. Verify if the system on which SupportAssist is installed is able to connect to the Internet.

2. If the system on which SupportAssist is installed connects to the Internet through a proxy server, ensure that you configure the proxy settings in SupportAssist. For more information, see Configuring Proxy Server Settings.

3. Perform the connectivity test and make sure that the test is successful. For more information, see Confirming E-Mail Connectivity.

4. Verify if the SupportAssist application is able to communicate successfully with the SupportAssist server. See Ensuring Successful Communication Between The SupportAssist Application And The SupportAssist Server.

After resolving the issue, manually upload a new collection for the device to Dell. For more information, see Sending The System Logs Manually.

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Services

• Dell SupportAssist may not initially connect to the SupportAssist server if your network requires passing web browser traffic through a proxy server. If this occurs:

– A dialog box may be displayed prompting you to configure your proxy settings. Provide the information required in the appropriate fields to connect to the SupportAssist server through your proxy server.

– Configure the proxy server settings in SupportAssist. See Configuring Proxy Server Settings.

– After configuring the proxy server settings, verify if the SupportAssist dashboard can connect to the SupportAssist server through the proxy server by performing the email connectivity test. See Confirming Connectivity Through The Proxy Server.

• If the SupportAssist dashboard does not seem to connect to the SupportAssist server or behave appropriately, ensure that the SupportAssist Windows service is running:

1. Click Start → Run.

The Run dialog box is displayed.

2. Type services.msc, and then click OK.

The Services Microsoft Management Console (MMC) is displayed.

3. Check if the Dell SupportAssist Service displays the status as Running.

4. If the service is not running, start the service by right-clicking Dell SupportAssist Service → Start.

5. If the service cannot or does not start, open the most recent log file (log-file.txt), and then search for text with a timestamp of when you tried to start the service. The log file may contain a message indicating any dashboard startup errors and a possible problem diagnosis.

6. To verify that the SupportAssist dashboard can connect to the SupportAssist server, perform the email connectivity test. See Confirming Email Connectivity.

– If the server is responding a success message is displayed in the dashboard. If not, the server may be down. If this occurs, look through the log-file.txt file, typically located in C:\Program Files (x86)\Dell\Dell SupportAssist\logs in 64-bit operating systems and at C:\Program Files \Dell\Dell SupportAssist\logs in 32-bit operating systems, to find details. If there are no discernible details in the log file, and the server is not reachable, call Dell technical support.

– If communication is successful, but no data updates occur, the dashboard may be identifying itself with an ID that is unknown to the server. If this occurs, look through the log-file.txt log file, typically located in C:\Program Files (x86)\Dell\Dell SupportAssist\logs in 64-bit operating systems and at C:\Program Files \Dell\Dell SupportAssist\logs in 32-bit operating systems to find details. The log file may contain a message stating that the dashboard was not recognized. If the dashboard is not recognized by the SupportAssist server, uninstall and reinstall SupportAssist.

The SupportAssist dashboard registers as a new client, enabling the SupportAssist server to recognize it.

Security

• The Settings tab is inaccessible and the Connectivity Test link is disabled. On clicking Settings tab, a dialog box is displayed with the following message: Access Denied. You must be logged in as a member of either the Administrators or Domain Admins group..

• The Edit Device Credentials and Send System Logs links remain disabled even after selecting a device in the Device Inventory.

If this occurs, ensure that you are logged on as a member of either the Administrators or Domain Admins group.

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Identifying SSL Connection Failure

SSL connection failure may occur if your system does not have the required certificate installed from the issuing root certificate authority, GTE CyberTrust Global Root. All Dell certificates are issued from this certificate authority.

To verify if the certificate is installed in Internet Explorer:

1. Click Tools → Internet Options.

The Internet Options dialog box is displayed.

2. Click the Content tab, and then click Certificates.

The Certificates dialog box is displayed.

3. Click the Trusted Root Certification Authorities tab.

4. Scroll to verify if GTE CyberTrust Global Root is listed in the Issued To and Issued By columns.

If GTE CyberTrust Global Root is not listed, you must install the required certificates. To install the certificates, see Installing Root Certificates.

Installing Root Certificates

Before you begin, ensure that:

• You are logged in to the user account with which SupportAssist was installed.

• You have administrator privileges.

• The SupportAssist service is running.

To resolve SSL connection issues, you must install the following root certificates in the appropriate folders of the current user and local computer.Table 1. Certificate Files And Installation Folder

Certificate Files Installation Folder

Dell_Inc_Enterprise_Issuing_CA1.cer

Dell_Inc_Enterprise_CA.cerIntermediate Certification Authorities

GTE_CyberTrust Global Root.cer Trusted Root Certification Authorities

To install root certificates:

1. Click Start → Run.

The Run dialog box is displayed.

2. In the Open box, type mmc, and click OK.

The Console 1 – [Console Root] window is displayed.

3. Click File → Add/Remove Snap-in.

The Add or Remove Snap-ins dialog box is displayed.

4. Under Available snap-ins, select Certificates, and click Add >.

The Certificates snap-in dialog box is displayed.

5. Ensure that My user account is selected, and then click Finish.

6. In the Add or Remove snap-ins dialog box, click Add >.

The Certificates snap-in dialog box is displayed.

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7. Select Computer account and click Next.

The Select Computer dialog box is displayed.

8. Ensure that Local computer (the computer this console is running on) is selected, and click Finish.

9. In the Add or Remove snap-ins dialog box, click OK.

10. Under the Console Root, click Certificates – Current User.

11. Right-click Trusted Root Certification Authority → All Tasks → Import.

The Certificate Import Wizard is displayed.

12. Click Next.

The File to Import dialog box is displayed.

13. Browse to select the location of the certificate files, select a certificate file and click Next.

The Certificate Store information is displayed.

14. Click Next.

15. Click Finish.

16. Perform step 11 to step 15 until all three certificate files are imported.

17. Right-click Intermediate Certification Authorities → All Tasks → Import.



19. Under the Console Root, click Certificates – Local Computer.

20. Right-click Trusted Root Certification Authority → All Tasks → Import.



22. Right-click Intermediate Certification Authorities → All Tasks → Import.



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7Related Documents And Resources

Other Documents You May Need

In addition to this guide, you can access the following guides available at the Dell Support website.

• Dell Server Management Pack Suite For Microsoft System Center Operations Manager And System Center Essentials Installation Guide

• Dell Server Management Pack Suite For Microsoft System Center Operations Manager And System Center Essentials User's Guide

• Dell SupportAssist Version 1.0 For Microsoft System Center Operations Manager Quick Start Guide

• Dell SupportAssist Version 1.0 For Microsoft System Center Operations Manager Support Matrix

• Dell SupportAssist Version 1.0 For Microsoft System Center Operations Manager Readme

• Dell System E-Support Tool User’s Guide

• Dell Lasso User's Guide

Accessing Documents From Dell Support Site

You can access the required documents in one of the following ways:

• From the following links:

– For all Systems Management documents — dell.com/softwaresecuritymanuals

– For Enterprise Systems Management documents — dell.com/openmanagemanuals

– For Remote Enterprise Systems Management documents — dell.com/esmmanuals

– For Serviceability Tools documents — dell.com/serviceabilitytools

– For Client Systems Management documents — dell.com/OMConnectionsClient

– For OpenManage Connections Enterprise Systems Management documents — dell.com/OMConnectionsEnterpriseSystemsManagement

– For OpenManage Connections Client Systems Management documents — dell.com/OMConnectionsClient

• From Dell Support site as follows:

– Go to dell.com/support/manuals.

– In the Tell us about your Dell system section, under No, select Choose from a list of all Dell products and click Continue.

– In the Select your product type section, click Software and Security.

– In the Choose your Dell Software section, click the required link from the following:

* Client System Management

* Enterprise System Management

* Remote Enterprise System Management

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* Serviceability Tools

– To view the document, click the required product version.

• Using search engines as follows:

– Type the name and version of the document in the Search box.

Contacting Dell

NOTE: If you do not have an active Internet connection, you can find contact information on your purchase invoice, packing slip, bill, or Dell product catalog.

Dell provides several online and telephone-based support and service options. Availability varies by country and product, and some services may not be available in your area. To contact Dell for sales, technical support, or customer service issues:

1. Visit dell.com/support

2. Select your support category.

3. Verify your country or region in the Choose a Country/Region drop-down menu at the top of page.

4. Select the appropriate service or support link based on your need.

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